Could possibly quit BJP by end of Nov, says Yeddyurappa

Bangalore, Nov 13: Affirming his determination to leave the BJP, former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa indicated yesterday that he may not wait till Dec to sever all ties with the party.

As his new party is supposed to be launched next month, Yeddyurappa said that he could "possibly quit the BJP" by the end of Nov. Aides close to him have been saying that the Karnataka Janata Party will be launched at a huge rally in Haveri on Dec 9.

Since the Winter Session of the Karnataka Assembly is scheduled to begin on Dec 5 and continue till Dec 13, Yeddyurappa's loyalists will not be able to attend the launch of his party. This is apparently the reason why the former CM is now mulling an early exit from the BJP.

As for the BJP leadership's warning that action will be taken against his supporters if they attend the rally at Haveri, Yeddyurappa said that those who are keen to join his party will do so shortly while anybody wishing to remain in the BJP can obey the leadership's diktat.

Yeddyurappa did not give a clear reply to queries regarding what all Arun Jaitley, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, discussed with him when the duo met secretly at the house of a RSS leader here two days ago. "Anybody is welcome to meet me as I am not an untouchable," Yeddyurappa quipped.

He stressed that he will not rethink his decision to leave the BJP. "The process of floating a new party has already begun," he pointed out to newspersons.

Yeddyurappa has been at loggerheads with state and central BJP leaders for some time now. His grouse is that they have not accorded him the respect that he deserves for leading the party to power in Karnataka.

Incidentally, the BJP has on more than one occasion accepted Yeddyurappa's demands. DV Sadananda Gowda who succeeded the 70-year-old as the chief minister of Karnataka was replaced with Jagadish Shettar mainly on Yeddyurappa's insistence.